June Newsletter

Welcome to ENTECH's June 2016 Newsletter!

ENTECH takes pride in offering many services to fit the changing demands of our customers. When it comes to service and maintenance agreement options, we know one size does not fit all. That’s why we take the time to evaluate your requirements and develop a solution that fits your budget and needs. ENTECH will deliver the best service for the best value.

INSIDE LOOK AT REGULATORY AGENCY (ACCREDITATION) RATINGS

Agency survey time at hospitals and surgery centers can be quite stressful. Documents, records and reports must be compiled and executives or administrators must be on hand to answer surveyor questions. Some hospitals and facilities even perform mock surveys which requires an enormous investment in time due to serious preparation. And though most employees, at some point, have assisted in readying the hospital for the survey process, they aren’t always aware what happens after the survey – Did we pass? Are we officially accredited? What kind of follow-up will there be?

Though not comprehensive by any means, we’ve compiled a quick reference guide that illustrates how each agency – Joint Commission, DNV and CIHQ – “grades” facilities and what to expect after the survey. [Information included in this article was extracted from each agency’s website and then summarized.]

At the end of the on-site survey, a “Summary of Survey Findings Report” is left with the organization to identify any Requirements for Improvement (RFIs). Organizations with RFIs will have a set period of time to submit evidence to show that the organization is now in full compliance with those standards. Requirements for Improvements (RFIs) are sent to hospitals that do not initially pass accreditation process.

Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ)Standards for CIHQ are based almost solely on the Medicare Conditions of Participation (COP).

Once the survey is concluded, the survey team will submit their preliminary report to senior staff at CIHQ. No written report will be issued to the organization at the exit conference. Senior staff at CIHQ will carefully review the report to assure that findings (allocation and deficiency level) have been correctly adjudicated and modification made to the report as necessary. Organizations should expect to receive their final report within 10 business days following survey. For more details, visit https://www.cihq.org/.

DNVDNV’s standards are adopted from the NIAHO – National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations requirements.
DNVHC accreditation decisions are not determined by the number of survey findings. In other words, there is no “magic number” of findings or “tipping point” that will cause a hospital to be denied accreditation. Rather, after survey, hospitals receive a preliminary report from the survey team, followed within 10 business days by a final report. The hospital will then have 10 calendar days to submit a corrective action plan, if needed.

Upon the approval of an acceptable corrective action plan, and follow up survey when applicable for condition-level nonconformities, the accreditation committee will then make the decision for approval or denial of accreditation. The accreditation will be valid for three years from the effective date subject to annual surveys. For more information, visit the DNV website related to healthcare at https://www.dnvgl.us/assurance/healthcare/index.html.

Whichever regulatory agency your facility utilizes to promote its accreditation, Entech understands the requirements and is happy to partner with you to ensure you are successful. From following stringent scheduled maintenance programs to providing detailed CMMS documentation and reports, Entech supports all sizes of hospitals in their regulatory agency compliance programs.

MEET THE TECH - MARK REMIEN

Mark Remien was born on Luke Air Force Base as a Navy brat and grew up in San Diego, CA in the 60s and Phoenix, AZ in the 70s. He has been with ENTECH since July 1985, starting out in the stockroom to get some work experience while he was going to college. Within six months, Mark became a biomedical technician. He is currently a Biomedical Specialist and lives in Prescott, AZ where he covers facilities in Western and north central Arizona, northwest and northeast Arizona and Las Vegas, NV.

Mark became interested in biomedical electronics technology after spotting a course of study in that field in a community college catalog. His job at the time (managing an industrial plumbing and structural steel warehouse/yard) was physically demanding, but not really challenging nor personally rewarding. It became apparent on a scorching day in July while loading steel that he needed to seek an alternative career. He decided to pursue the biomedical field and eventually graduated from Phoenix College with a degree in Biomedical Electronics Technology.

Mark was stationed at both Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix (aka Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center) and then at Maryvale Samaritan Hospital for several years before he started doing ENTECH field service work throughout Arizona in the early 2000s. Mark is CBET certified and has attended numerous vendor service schools. He is an AAMI member and participates in AZMIA (Arizona Medical Instrumentation Association).

Mark became involved with the Boy Scouts when his son was eight, volunteering as a Cub Scout Leader. It was a lot of work, but it turned out to be so much fun that he went on to become a Webelos Leader and eventually the Scout Master for his local troop. He had many proud moments as nearly every boy in his group earned Eagle Scout.

Mark is married with a blended family – four children and five grandchildren. Mark and his wife are avid travelers. They’ve visited all 50 states and have traveled extensively through China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, Viet Nam, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. They have also been to Greece, the Greek Isles, Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. Mark was even able to fulfill his childhood dream of exploring Machu Picchu in Peru, South America. He and his wife will continue traveling in 2017 with another trip planned to South America and also the eastern Caribbean.

In addition to traveling, Mark enjoys the outdoors – fishing, hiking, exploring, kayaking and geocaching (a type of treasure-hunting game using GPS-enabled devices and then attempting to find a hidden container – geocache – at that location). Mark has accumulated over 10,000 geocache finds worldwide.

The Arizona Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (AASCA) is hosting its annual conference June 23-24 this year at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn & Spa.

According to AASCA’s website, the AASCA acts as an advocate for ambulatory surgery centers throughout Arizona and provides timely public policy information and educational opportunities. The association is a voice for all ASCs in Arizona, whether they are members or not.

Entech is a business partner of the AASCA and will be exhibiting at the conference in June. If you’re planning to attend the conference, please be sure to stop by and visit with our representatives.